Report about the meeting of February 18th

(Date: 3 March 2005)

Report about the meeting of February 18th

Summary of the meeting of Friday, February 18th, 2005 of the group Babels-Peru FSM 2005

In this meeting, the Peruvian Babels POA 2005 met to exchange ideas, proposals and personal experiences after the forum. Some comments of other members of Babels from the meeting of January 31 at the Usina were read for the members that were unable to attend.

In general, three major issues were discussed:

Before the Forum
The selection process was meticulous:

Call for applicants was sent by e-mail
Resumes were requested and reviewed in detail
Interviews were held

Selection was based on the last two steps.

Two prior meetings were held at the Universidad Ricardo Palma. In the first, explanation was given as to what Babels is, its organization, etc. In the second, practices were held using interpretation booths and there was discussion of subjects related to the profession.

Constant communication with the coordinators was maintained by e-mail throughout the process until arrival in POA in order to answer any questions

During the Forum

The problems known and discussed by everyone at the Babels meetings were mentioned (such as organizational, logistical, and technical issues).

In spite of these problems the experience was interesting and enriching and there is interest in future participation.

As a group, we lacked communication in POA (because of different schedules and lodging in different locations, etc.).

After the Forum

It was agreed that a meeting would be held at the end of every month or, if necessary, more frequently (for example, if opportunity to attend another forum should arise).

The call for new participants will be expanded using the same selection process (it was agreed that the call should not be done solely by Internet, but also by means of presentations at academic institutions).

If there is adequate infrastructure, consideration may be given to the possibility of holding training meetings in order to evaluate the interpreters’ skills and motivation for the voluntary effort.

The possibility of creating a virtual space for group discussions or using the existing Babels site to facilitate a more open and fluid communication was discussed.

To improve the quality of the interpretations:

Discussions will emphasize more strongly the subjects of the forums (in future meetings with a specific subject for discussion). More emphasis will be given to practicing interpretation techniques.